1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a reclinable vehicle seat in which the bottom part and the back support part are rotatable together and the back support part is pivoted in relation to the bottom part. For convenience, such a seat with a pivoted back support part will be referred to as "of the kind described".
2. The Prior Art A reclinable vehicle seat, of particular application in aircraft, comprising a bottom part and a back support which are rotatable together about an axis to be fixed in the vehicle transverse to the seat and adjacent to the bottom part as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,999. Means are provided for securing the parts in positions angularly spaced about the axis. The axis is preferably immediately below and towards the rear of the bottom part. The back support part may additionally be pivoted in relation to the bottom part, about the same or a different transverse axis, and means are provided for securing it in different positions relative to the bottom part. The seat preferably includes a leg support part extending downwardly from or adjacent to the front edge of the bottom part and optionally includes a foot rest. The leg support part may be fixed or pivoted to the bottom part so as to extend forwardly and downwardly when the seat is tilted rearwardly of its normal, upright position.
A seat of the kind described provides two separate systems whereby an occupant can adopt reclining postures. Either the seat can be rotated bodily about the noted axis or the back support part can be pivoted whilst the bottom part remains stationary. The two systems can be operated separately, enabling an occupant to select a wide variety of different dispositions of the bottom part and the back support part. An occupant can select dispositions which suit his or her personal physique and may alter the disposition as frequently as desired. This is a particular benefit on long journeys, avoiding fatigue and accommodating occupants comfortably for different activities.
It was stated in the noted U.S. patent that a seat of the kind described requires somewhat greater spacing between adjacent rows of seats than is required for seats in which the back support part is fixed in relation to the bottom part and can only rotate together with it, that is, through the same angles. This greater spacing was considered necessary because if the maximum reclining movement permitted by each system is limited, as is desirable, by the maximum rearward inclination of the back support part that will not inconvenience an occupant in the seat behind with a particular spacing of the rows of seats, then if the reclining movement permitted by both systems is used simultaneously the rearward inclination of the back support part could exceed that maximum and cause inconvenience unless the row spacing was increased.
It has now been appreciated that the need for that greater spacing can be avoided by a modification which limits the movements of the seat only to a minor extent.